Goosebumps (piloerection) is an anatomical reaction that we have all experienced more than once, either after feeling cold or cold, or after feeling strong emotions. This biological process is common to all animals, and we are no exception. But then, why and how does goosebumps appear?
Goosebumps are a physiological phenomenon inherited from our animal nature, which has been useful to them (animals) and still is, but which does not help us humans very much. Goosebumps consist of tiny elevations in the skin, which causes it to take on the appearance of poultry skin after the feathers have been plucked.
These elevations are caused by the contraction of tiny muscles that are attached to each hair. Each contracting muscle creates a shallow depression on the surface of the skin, causing the surrounding area to protrude. The contraction also causes the hairs to stand up whenever the body feels cold.
In thick-haired animals, this rising hair expands the layer of air that serves as insulation. The thicker the layer of hair, the more heat is retained. In humans, this reaction is unnecessary because we do not have a coat, but the goosebumps still persist.
As you have noticed, goosebumps tend to form when you are cold. It also appears when you feel a strong emotional feeling, such as extreme fear, strong joy or sexual excitement.
So hair also rises in many animals when they feel threatened — in a cat attacked by a dog, for example. The raised hair, along with the arched back and sideways stance the animal often assumes, makes the cat appear taller in an attempt to back the dog up.
Related:Does Stress Really Cause Gray Hair?
People also tend to get goosebumps during emotional situations. Quite often a person can get goosebumps many years after a significant event, just thinking about the emotions they once experienced, perhaps listening to the romantic song they danced to many years ago with the love of his life.
The reason for all these responses is the release of a stress hormone called adrenaline. Adrenaline, which in humans is produced in two small glands located at the top of the kidneys (the adrenal glands), not only causes the muscles in the skin to contract, but also influences many other bodily reactions.
In animals, this hormone is released when the animal feels cold or faces a stressful situation, preparing the animal for a flight or fight response. In humans, adrenaline is often released when we are cold or afraid, but also if we are stressed or feel strong emotions, such as anger or excitement. Other signs of adrenaline release include tears (crying), sweaty palms, shaky hands, increased blood pressure and increased heart rate.
Why in humans does goosebumps appear even for a strong positive emotion? Perhaps because we are more complex beings than most animals from a cerebral point of view, and the emotional and nervous circuit leading to this phenomenon of piloerection can be provoked by different emotions than those experienced by animals. .
